Stalking stars on a closed set unrewarding

Nicole Watson experienced a literal brush with celebrity last week when Christian Bale bumped into her between takes of the A-list film partially shot in her sublime Millbury Street bar.

“Did he scream at you?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “He bumped into me.”

“Does it matter?”

I’m a big fan of the hunky star, but like many gifted actors of our generation, Bale happens to be a raving nut ball. You may recall that while filming “Terminator Salvation” in 2009, a video of his foul-mouthed, over-the-top tirade went viral after the crew member walked into Bale’s eye-line during a take. The tirade was much better and more well-received than the movie, although Bale later apologized, and his estranged mom helpfully waded into the affair by reminding people that she called police on her son for his alleged verbal assault in London.

We’ve witnessed no similar tantrums from any of the big stars who descended on Worcester last week, which is too bad, as I was hoping I could get Bale to shriek at me and finally experience my well-deserved 15 minutes of fame. It didn’t happen. But I did get to hobnob with celebrities, if by “hobnob” you mean “running around trying to catch a glimpse of them before being shooed away by production assistants,” who are extremely bossy.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” they’d snap, like they were manufacturing plutonium instead of helping create something you see while eating popcorn and Milk Duds. Eventually I was foisted upon the studio’s publicist, who explained that the set was closed and that no one on the film, not even the local extras, was allowed to speak with the press.

Indeed, everything is so secretive that even the official spokeswoman declined to identify herself, although I used my journalistic skills to learn that her first name is LuAnn.

“The last thing we need is a lot of people coming around,” LuAnn said, rather pointedly, although I managed to wheedle the factoid that Worcester was chosen as a location because it best resembles Camden, N.J., where part of the movie takes place. When I asked her why they didn’t just shoot in Camden, she gave me the kind of pitying look that Hollywood heavies reserve for unfortunate rubes who don’t matter, such as writers.

“Camden is too far away,” she said.

“From where?”

“Boston,” she said. “That’s where we’re shooting most of the film.”

LuAnn soon grew tired of my inane questions and wandered away, but was kind enough to reveal that the big celebs — Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner — would be on Millbury Street shortly for another scene at Nick’s. Because they’re movie stars, their entrance is closely guarded with huge black umbrellas and black screens, lest they be forced to lock eyes with an actual member of the adoring but unwashed public.

Speaking of the unwashed public, many Worcesterites are thrilled to see our downtown streets transformed into studio sets with touches of the 1970s, while the naysayers claim that Worcester is the perfect place to shoot such a film because it’s stuck in the ’70s and the stars won’t be overwhelmed by crowds.

But Watson thinks it’s great for Worcester, and I agree. In addition to Bale bumping into her, she said Lawrence’s stylist fixed her hair because some of her bobby pins were sticking out (Nicole’s, not the stylist’s), and that the crew lets her sit in on the filming.

“The whole neighborhood has been involved one way or another,” Watson said. “All of the businesses are getting money or attention. And the stars have been really professional and pleasant.”